4/5

The Big Questions:

• What genre is this in? YA fantasy

• Are there any swoon-worthy characters? Jay Friday is tall, dark, brooding, and a bass player

• Is it spicy? No

• Is it violent or gory? Monster attacks but not overly gory

• Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? Borrow it!

Review: I love a good magical forest full of monsters, but throw in a secret society, a mystery, and the drama of coming-of-age and you’ve got me sat. Winnie wants nothing more than her old life back by proving her loyalty and worth to her clan. She drove me nuts with her overwhelming desire to be back in the good graces of people who turned their back on her family over something they didn’t even do, but those are the ways of Hemlock Falls. She must face the hunter trials to bring honor back to her family name. While Winnie has her grievances, I am intrigued by the many hints of what else was going on while Winnie and her family was cast out of her clan but still kept within the boundaries of the town. Winnie grew on me as she discovered more and more that her idealized world isn’t what she thought, especially when things start to go her way. The overall plot and character development were evenly paced to keep in interested along with the ever expanding world building. This was a great first installment into a series with plenty of hints to larger mysteries and deeper conspiracy within Hemlock Falls as well as the larger Luminaries society. I am HOOKED.